We Say…
Describing their music as, “sad songs in harmony”, flinch. began life as the pandemic project of Glasgow native, Beth Black. Back in 2021, Beth released the debut flinch. album, enough is enough. Since then Beth has set about collecting bandmates, swelling flinch. to their current four-piece lineup, and going on to share stages with the likes of Martha and Poster Paints, as well as performing at the recent Manchester punk festival. Recently the band celebrated their newfound full-band style and the two-year anniversary of enough is enough, with the release of a newly recorded live version of the record, also including a brand new track, all of my friends are dads.
Listening to enough is enough, I’m instantly transported back to the DIY-scene of the early 2010’s, a melting point of 90’s alternative rock and indie-tinged emo, a place where feelings are worn openly, rather than hidden behind a wall of reverb and electronics. Take the fabulous February, you can almost hear the evolution of the track from the easy acoustic guitar chords at its core, through to the sparkling additions of textural strings, shimmering piano notes and the perfectly out-of-fashion belling of the glockenspiel. Elsewhere, on the Crywank-referencing sorry i puked on you in that rented car, Beth lets the folk-flag fly, stripping things back as she recalls the likes of Siobhan Wilson or Alessi’s Ark, while the following track, how do you do it?, brings electric-guitar to the dream-pop party, nodding to the likes of Hazel English of Alvvays. Key to the success of all the tracks here is Beth’s lyrical prowess, beautiful dissections of pain and optimism, where moments of brief wallowing are allowed their time, before pulling hope from her back pocket. Often Beth’s lyrics seem to play around with tropes, reflecting how life isn’t always like the movies, whether she’s noting how a shared love of obscure hobbies isn’t the basis of a lifelong relationship (on the brilliantly titled, just because you like the same bizzaro crap you do, that doesn’t make her your soulmate Tom) or learning not to always dive in feet first even when things feel good, on Escape From Rupture Farm, as she tempers excitement for a cool head, “just give me time so I can think this over, I didn’t know that I could do this sober”. As for where flinch. are headed next, the live album showcases a solo-artist shifting into a band, and on all of my friends are dads they show it via a brooding song of tiredness, house plants and a feeling of not progressing in life as quickly as everyone else, which goes from initially muted-melancholy to a crescendo of clattering cymbals reminiscent of Phoebe Bridger’s, I Know The End. flinch. were already a fabulous prospect, full-band flinch. 2.0, well that could just take them as far as their imaginations can go.
They Say…
FTR: For those who don’t know who are flinch.?
flinch. started as the pandemic-born solo project of beth black (that’s me, hi!). Almost two years on, we’re now an all-female four piece who make loud, sad indie-rock (maybe bubble-grunge? I’m not very good at genres)
We are:
beth: guitar, vocals
joy: guitar, banter, riffs
lorn: bass, nice artwork
nina: drums, glockenspiel, zines
FTR: What can you remember about your first show?
it feels a bit like flinch. had three “first” shows. The first time I played any of the flinch. songs live to an audience was me, alone on my couch, live-streamed on Facebook and instagram which was weird and, in hindsight, a bit sad. Then there was the first solo show in a venue called Bloc – I was so emotionally exhausted afterwards I felt like I’d been hit by a bus.
The show that feels like the real first show was the gig we threw as a first birthday party for the album. It was our first show as a band and we all wore party hats and at one point Nina came out from behind the drums and stood at the front to play the glock and I made a comment about us being like the spice girls…
FTR: Why do you make music? Why not another art form?
i make music because I always have and probably always will. My parents got me into music classes as a baby and now my day job is music (i make music and music opportunities with disabled musicians through a charity called Paragon) and music is also my hobby. Flinch. songs seem to come out of me whenever something happens that angers or upsets or confuses me and nothing makes me feel more alive than playing live to an audience. Frankly I’m terrible at drawing too so I was never gonna be a visual artist, it was always going to be music.
FTR: What can people expect from the flinch. live show?
Glockenspiel, slightly nervous chat inbetween songs, unexpected loud bits.
FTR: What’s next for flinch.?
we’re just about ready record our second album (our first as a full band!) and I’m really excited about it. Just need to find the money and then maybe some indie labels to help us get some vinyl made.
Hoping there’s a UK summer tour on the horizon too.
They Listen To…
Moon Like Sour Candy – The Ophelias
One night, in the height of lockdown I was feeling a bit lost and existential. I’d been watching some romcom series on Netflix and The Ophelias had a track on one of the episodes. That thing happened where you hear the first three notes of a song and are instantly hooked. That night I took myself for a big drive (the best cure for feeling lost and existential) and listened to every track The Ophelias had on Spotify. There’s a track on the album called “Thanks Ophelia” that I wrote when I came home from that drive.
The Sun – Tigers Jaw
Whenever someone asks who my favourite band are the answer is always Tigers Jaw. They were the first band I saw where someone not-male was making music that I wanted to make, they’re a band that I’ve bonded with countless friends through screaming their lyrics on long drives and we recently got to support them when they played in our city.
Tim Peak, If You Love Space So Much Why Don’t You Marry It – Michael M.
As well as being a bloody good songwriter, Michael M is a dear pal of mine so it’s meant with love when I say that when he pressed an entire album of short, daft songs onto vinyl (he’s got two records now!) I thought “alright, if Mitch can do it so can I” and then I got 300 copies of ‘enough is enough’ pressed onto vinyl despite the fact that flinch. had never played a gig.
Indigo – Kississippi
I just think this is the sexiest song ever. It was a big inspiration for the flinch. album too (flinchspiration if you will)
Love Is A Noose For Two- Goodbye Blue Monday
Another shout out to pals! As flinch., I’ve found myself in a weird middle ground of where we sit genre/scene wise. I cut my teeth in the DIY punk scene and fervently describe myself as a punk but musically I’m not writing punk tunes. Goodbye Blue Monday are on a record label I love, Make That A Take, who are a constant reminder that, sure, punk is sometimes a particular sound but that it’s also about turning up, supporting what you believe in, and catching people when they fall (or crowdsurf). You can be loud and angry and still write songs with glockenspiel parts.
enough is enough (live) is out now. For more information on flinch. visit https://flinchmusic.bandcamp.com/.
For The Rabbits 